


Man's World, Man's Sky

by Arcadias_Fire



Series: Obsidian, Steel, and Gold [1]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 08:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12362175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcadias_Fire/pseuds/Arcadias_Fire
Summary: Shortly after she's joined the Justice League, Diana ponders Man's World and her new team-mates.This is the beginning of a multi-work series of vignettes,





	Man's World, Man's Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Set in between The Justice League Animated Series episodes "Secret Origins" and "The Enemy Below".

Diana prowled curiously through the hallway of the Watchtower, alternating her gaze between the amazing starscape outside the magical windows and the many sliding metal doors. She had been living here for a week or so, but still hadn’t explored the whole structure. The space station was larger and more complex than she’d first thought. Besides, there’d been work to do, and she'd spent a fair amount of time using the computers to research Man’s World, since she was was living here now. What she learned both dismayed and amused her. There being so few women in charge just seemed wrong, and the plight of her non-Amazonian sisters in this world was much worse than she had thought in many places, but was far better than what she’d been taught in others. Women were not the slaves of men in this world, nor were all men evil the way that Amazonian lore painted them. The men of this team seemed honorable warriors, at least, though they seemed more akin to demigods than men. At least most of them did.

She stood at one of the window, looking out at the stars. It had been easy to become friends with Hawkgirl. A sister warrior, fierce and bold, she could have been an Amazon save for her wings and hawk countenance. That blend reminded Diana of the gods of Egypt, so familiar from her studies. It felt natural to fly by her side, even though when they spoke it was clear that the two women came from vastly different cultures. Hawkgirl had said her planet was so far away that you could even see her home star from Earth, but Diana searched the sky anyway. The view was different here, but she loved it just as much as she loved looking at the stars from Themyscira.

Superman seemed like a demigod, a modern Heracles, though far nobler than that spawn of Zeus. He was sculpted to perfection, beautiful as any classical work made flesh, just beyond human. It seemed odd to her that he came from a distant world as well, since he seemed so earthy. J’onn, who was visibly more alien, was from a far closer world. So strange. Still, both males had pure hearts, even though their hearts had clearly been broken by the losses of their homeworlds’ and families. She hoped that J’onn would find a place with this new, strange family that was the seven of them, though somehow she thought that it wouldn’t be enough. She’d seen girls with broken hearts adopted into Amazonian culture. Sometimes they healed, sometimes they didn’t. Superman, despite his isolation, had warm and loving heart. She was beginning to see that the male heart wasn’t so different than woman’s.

The other men, well Flash was what she expected of this world. He was brash and full of himself. If she correctly understood what Hawkgirl had told her, then he was also constantly trying to get the both of them to mate with him. Her upbringing said she should be furious, but she was just amused. Unlike what she’d been taught about Man’s World, he never tried to force things – not that he could have, both women could have broken the speedster easily – it really just seemed like he was very young and inexperienced. 

Green Lantern, well he was a soldier, one gifted with enormous powers, but a soldier. She understood that and respected it. He kept things close, but that was the way of some soldiers. He needed a shield-mate, someone to bond with. A fellow warrior who understood what it was like to be under fire. To stand alone, but also part of a squadron. Diana wondered if he could unbend enough to find a comrade who could be that for him, since she doubted the word “compromise” was part of his vocabulary.

Speaking of stubborn…

Diana turned away from the window, her feet taking her to one of the first places they’d all been introduced to. There were several interconnected sparring rooms, gymnasiums, and a huge simulation room that pitted one against disposable automatae that could be set to various levels of difficulty to fight multiple opponents at once. She entered the complex, listening to discover who was there. Though her senses weren’t as acute as Superman’s, Diana could still hear better than any mortal. There was a single person here. 

She followed the sounds through the hallway. There wasn’t much; an occasional grunt or hiss, the swish of fabric, the sound of a body smoothly hitting the mat. Strangely, the door to the sparring room was open. Diana stood quietly in the doorway watching as Batman ran through a series of combat exercises against imaginary opponents. Blocks, strikes, kicks, and rolls. A flurry of his cape to confuse as he suddenly wasn’t where the opponent would expect. He was fast, lithe, clearly strong – for a mortal – and unexpectedly graceful. In some way, he reminded her of an Amazon warrior, clearly having devoted his life to training in combat. Pity he was male.

She was certain that he knew that she was there; he probably knew before she’d reached the door. He continues the routine ignoring her for another few minutes, speeding up his moves until he's a blur of black and gray. Diana wonders if he's trying to impress her, but discards to notion quickly; Batman is surely beyond such things.

When he stops, he's facing her in the doorway, silent. She can see his chest and shoulders move beneath the long cloak. He's breathing more heavily than usual, but not winded.

"Can I help you, Princess?" he asked quietly. His voice reminded her of a wild cat, half growl, half purr.

"I was just admiring your technique," she replied, walking into the room, studying him closely. "You use hand to hand forms we Amazons don't." 

Batman gave her a half smile. “I'm not surprised.”

Diana tilted her head and smiled back. "Maybe you could show me some moves?"

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe another time, I have work to do." He strode past her, the edge of his cloak brushing her leg.

"What did I do?" Diana stared at the retreating black back and shivered. Did she miss some subtle cultural clue and offend the Dark Knight or was he just being touchy? She found it almost impossible to read his body language beyond obvious expressions. Her first reaction was anger at the arrogant mortal male, but she was sure he had a reason. Her own sense of empathy simply wouldn't let her assume the worst. She wanted to be friends with these people; some would just be a greater challenge than others.


End file.
